A little over a year after the release of Windows 7, businesses have finally started updating their PCs, which had mostly been running a ten-year old operating system, Windows XP. Several studies have shown accelerated adoption of Microsoft's latest desktop operating system. The bad rap Vista got was mostly to blame for this, but the bold few who made the move to that interim OS actually experience a smoother transition to the new world of Windows 7.

Whether your company bypassed Vista or has made (or is about to make) the jump from XP to Windows 7, you'll find plenty of new features that to smooth your workday, but some pointers on using the new OS effectively in the workplace will make it that much smoother. Many of Windows 7's conveniences are well known to anyone who's done some basic researchthe ability to tone down User Account Control messages when doing things like installing software, pinning application icons to the Taskbar, and the Jump Lists that offer more choices when starting a program. But we've looked for some less obvious features.

We've already published tips for speeding up Windows 7, customizing the OS, making Windows 7 simpler, and unearthing its hidden features, which business users may find helpful. The advice that follows, however, is targeted specifically to business users. Find all these guides on our Windows 7 page.

Since business users are likely to be users of Microsoft Office, as well, be sure to check out our lists of tips for using Excel more effectively, for Word and Powerpoint, and general Office 2010 tricks.

About the Author

Michael Muchmore is PC Magazine's lead analyst for software and web applications. A native New Yorker, he has at various times headed up PC Magazine's coverage of Web development, enterprise software, and display technologies. Michael cowrote one of the first overviews of web services for a general audience. Before that he worked on PC Magazine's S... See Full Bio

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